


Troika

by Firekitten



Category: RWBY
Genre: After Salem and Ozpin's War, James could do without a world full of nosy people, M/M, Qrow is terrible at expressing himself, Taiyang is both the most and least adjusted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-17 03:41:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14824578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firekitten/pseuds/Firekitten
Summary: Troika - (Noun) Russian in origin, meaning "set of three" or "three of a kind". It is a three-way dance between people.Taiyang has a bad dream, Qrow has homesickness and James has a headache. Not necessarily in that order.Or, a series of snapshot events at different times of this trio's relationship together.





	1. To Act Good

**Author's Note:**

> So, this story plot-bunnied from reading multiple other Tai/James/Qrow stories, which eventually sparked my interest in the pairing enough to write for it. Most of them have either orphaned their work or don’t write for RWBY anymore so I’m not sure if they’d appreciate being named, which is why I declined gifting, – but still, this is for you guys: 
> 
> Fandomlastsforever, Roguewolf, Anipendragon, Sunrisefallenguise, Efrondeur and whomever wrote the one orphaned story full of delicious smut
> 
> As for all of you who got curious enough to take a look at this disaster, thank you and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> First chapter is James! I’ve never written his character so extensively before, so I hope it’s alright.

A loud sigh was heaved in the empty office, the tall man sitting at his desk rubbing a hand over his eyes, stacks of paperwork spread before him across the desk.

There were few things in life that could give James a headache like the beginning fiscal year budget plan. While he only had to submit his general plan (he could almost _hear_ Taiyang laughing) for the committee to overview and approve, it was still a good week’s worth of work crunching the new numbers in, then submitting it to his financial department to triple check those numbers. Even using last year’s data as a template, he still had to recalculate for inflation, economical changes, and, this year, a potential school expansion.

When his lovers had first brought up the idea, admittedly, James had tried to tune them out. Atlas had been functioning fine for 80 years now, what need did it have to change? Sure, Signal was one of the few schools in the world to have a few less traditional classes and there were no reported ill effects from these differences, but most of the academies didn’t think it was necessary to add to their curriculum based on that factor alone. Particularly psychology, which was still viewed by many in the science community as nothing but a ‘textbook full of crazy ideas made by crazy people’. So, when it was that course in particular the two pushed him on the most, James had told them that all of his students were trained to instill pure discipline in their minds and didn’t need an additional course to deal with “problems” that could arise from such a thing.

Sassy didn’t even begin to cover the way Qrow had looked at him as he bluntly quipped, “And that’s why students from Atlas have the highest recorded numbers of PTSD and depression, right?”

That had actually started a hell of a row between them and ended with Qrow furiously storming out of the house. He didn’t see him again until the next afternoon when the flying bird invaded his office and, rather than being shitfaced drunk like he expected, a report that would give most thesis papers a run for their money was slammed down onto his desk. Leafing through it, he wasn’t sure what impressed him more: that the expository essay detailing the effects of mental and cognitive-based courses on the proper development of strong Huntsman was surprisingly persuasive or that it had only taken Qrow one night to accurately compose it.

He’d gone home that night with an apology on his tongue and a promise in his heart to at least hear them out this time.

Tai, who had mostly watched the unfolding argument and reconciliation without weighing in to avoid taking sides, eventually contacted a former colleague from Signal and got him a lesson plan for the course. It gave him an idea of how the class was set up, what it covered and how it was applied to the students’ daily lives and future careers as Huntsman or even just members of society.

So now here he was, trying to find a way to spare funds for the additional classroom space, materials and staff needed while also trying to convince the committee it was a necessary change _without_ turning himself into a total laughingstock at the board. He was just beginning to amuse himself over what it would be like if he let Qrow take his place at the meeting instead, when a knock at his door drew his attention.

“Come in,” James said. The door opened and his expression smoothed out to something a bit gentler when he saw it was Winter, though the look of stress across her features did worry him some. “Winter, is everything alright?”

“Sir, there’s,” She approached his desk, remembering herself enough to salute. “I apologize for interrupting but we have a problem.”

“What is it?”

“Have you seen the news yet?”

He arched an eyebrow at the curious question. “I can’t say I have. Why?”

She hesitated, and it wasn’t often he saw one of his most composed soldiers so uncomfortable. “I just received word from Commissioner Bradley that Taiyang is being detained at her facility for assault and battery.”

James’ eyes widened, jerking to his feet. “What!?” That, that _couldn’t_ be right. While Tai had a fiery side to him at times, he was usually the one who kept things from getting too out of hand. He had always been a firm believer that things could typically be handled in a more peaceful way. He would _never_ hit an innocent – expect, according to his soldier, he apparently would.

“Qrow is there too. He’s not being incarcerated, but they are holding him for questioning.”

Before he could even think to ask more questions, his phone started ringing. He shoved aside some of his papers, picking up the receiver. “Hello?”

“James, what in blimey is going on?!” It was his director, Major Sergeant Steele. And he sounded absolutely furious. “I’ve got the press trying to ram down the gates right now all because of some riot one of your…” There was a derisive scoff, “ _partners_ decided to start.”

“Sir, there must be some kind of mistake,” He quickly tried to refute.

“You better hope there is! James, I could give less of a damn about your personal activities until it has the committee breathing down my neck. It was bad enough that you had the drunk vagabond in your bed, but now you’ve got some unstable psychopath too?!”

James was glad he picked up the phone with his real hand, otherwise he would have shattered the receiver. “I’ll get this cleared up and under control immediately.”

“See that you do General! If any further incidents like this hits the news, I GUARENTEE we will be discussing different opportunities for your position.” There was a click as the call was abruptly cut.

He took a few deep breathes to calm the race of his heart, setting the phone back on the hook. “Winter?”

“Yes sir?”

“I need a vehicle escort to the police station, immediately.”

“Right away sir.” She saluted him, before taking her leave.

* * *

Two years ago, his love life suddenly became a hot button topic when reporters had got wind of his relationship with Qrow just a few weeks after they finally made the big decision to start living together. While no stranger to having the occasional sweetheart in his bed, it was his first publicly discovered with another man. And with a world-renowned huntsman no less. It had been doubly insulting to realize that having become General back in his mid-30s had been something that barely lasted a week in the papers, but who he was seeing was worth a whole month of coverage. Still, he handled the situation as professionally as possibly, holding a conference to clearly dissipate any rumors and officially announcing his relationship with the other man, expressing how he hoped people would allow the matter to remain as it should: private.

It had been a foolish man’s hope, as barely three days later, Qrow was assailed by the paparazzi just outside of a bar downtown. Being as drunk as he was led to a _very_ loose tongue – not to mention just his overall ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude – and certain things James would have rather remained unheard was broadcast all over the evening news. The next morning, the committee also talked his ear off about their disappointment in how he was handling his ‘professional image’ and how he might want to consider a ‘more respectable’ partner if he was going to continue to pursue romance.

It was an extremely rough patch in their relationship, one they almost didn’t weather through, but once the press and committee had backed off enough and they could breathe again, it gave them a chance to both establish some boundaries and reconnect.

He had thought there would be nothing worse than that incident.

Unfortunately, as he held his Scroll just shy of shattering it while the video played out on the screen, he discovered that he was very wrong.

“The streets of Atlas exploded this afternoon when a Huntsman knocked a reporter unconscious after a round of questioning.” Jewell Olsen was saying, a picture of the blond playing out on the screen behind her. “The perpetrator, identified as Taiyang Xiao Long, is a former instructor of Signal Academy and was seen fraternizing with a past teammate, Qrow Branwen. Former accounts from a few years ago detail Mr. Branwen being in a long-term relationship with the current General of the Atlas military, James Ironwood. When approached by Oliver Sikes, an alleged reporter of CTT News, the questioning quickly turned hostile. The camera crew was able to catch the following footage.” Jewell’s image faded to black, playing the beginning of the video.

“Mr. Branwen! Mr. Xiao Long!” Oliver, a young, ginger-haired adult in a dime store suit, was quickly hurrying down the sidewalk. “A moment please!”

The two men who, if James to guess, had just been on a date, were walking astride one another, hands linked between each other. At the call of their names though, they looked back. Qrow’s eyes darted between the reporter and the camera, eyes narrowing suspiciously. Taiyang, however, just looked confused as he responded, “Uh, yes?”

“I’m Oliver Sikes from CTT News. I was wondering if I could have a word with you both about your current relationship status with one another and General Ironwood.”

Qrow scoffed, waving his hand to shoo the other off. “Not interested, Freckles N’ Heckles. Go find someone else to pester, alright?” Without waiting for an answer, he whirled around, tugging Tai after him.

Persistently, the reporter walked after the duo, the camera bobbing behind him. “But sirs! There have been rumors going around and the public would like a clear answer. Is this perhaps an affair?”

“You need to clean your ears Scarlet Fever? Get lost!”

“Qrow!” Taiyang hissed.

Oliver glanced back, waving the cameraman forward before quickly sprinting to the blond’s side, the camera soon panning a side shot of them. “Mr. Xiao Long, is it true your hometown is located in the southern side of Anima?”

“I, well – yes,” He replied, increasing discomfort starting to show.

Ignoring the death gaze the former bandit was sending him, the reporter babbled on, “Research shows that many households in the southern villages still participate in becoming concubines for financial stability. Is that, perhaps, the relationship you now share with the general and Mr. Branwen here?”

“E-Excuse me?!” Taiyang spluttered, stumbling to a stop as his cheeks went bright red with mortification. Beside him, for probably the first time in his life, Qrow seemed to of been rendered speechless as he just stared, jaw agape.

James could feel the blood rushing hot in his veins, his scroll giving a warning creak as his grip tightened even more.

Oliver, quick on the draw but not on the shot, continued, “Or perhaps, it’s the other way around? After all, the background check reveals you’ve also had two daughters with two separate mothers within a very short amount of time of each other. While Mr. Branwen’s records show he also originates from Anima and has the same cultural appropriation as yourself, how did you convince General Ironwood of all people to enter into such an arrangement?”

Qrow’s face had twisted into absolute rage. “Matchstick, you did not just-”

He never even got a chance to finish before Tai moved.

It was so quick, had James not had such a well-trained eye, he would have easily missed the exact way the brawler whirled on the young man and bashed him right in the face; the punch was so powerful, it blew right through the other’s aura and the crack of breaking bone split loud in the air. The force flung the reporter right out of the camera’s view and there was a sound of shattering glass and screams. Whomever was working it quickly turned, revealing the broken storefront window across the street and the gathering of pedestrians crowding around the unconscious, sprawled form of Oliver Sikes.

“Tai!”

The view moved back to the duo. Qrow had grabbed onto the blond’s arm, looking around furtively for an escape. Tai, a mask of impassive calm, slowly turned and faced the camera straight on. The only indication of the inferno of fury underneath that visage was the golden-orange glow of his eyes. And for a moment, James was back at the tail-end of the war, during the last time he’d ever even seen Tai with his semblance activated. One second, he had been going toe-to-toe with Hazel Rainart, the next their enemy was being flung through a wall as the blond casually stalked after him, looking much like the ferocious beast of legend he was named after.

Shaking of the vestiges of the past, he focused back on the video. And when Tai spoke, James felt a disturbed shiver run down his spine at that tone filled with nothing but malevolence and wrath, “If you do not wish to join him, **_perhaps_** you should turn that camera off now.”

The feed ended and Jewell appeared back on screen. “Authorities managed to arrest both men a few blocks from the incident, and currently have them in holding at a local station. Oliver Sikes was transported to the nearest hospital, where he is currently being treated for multiple lacerations, along with a broken jaw and fractured skull.”

As she moved onto the next headline, James turned off his phone and slumped back into the passenger seat of the car with a loud sigh, already feeling the weight of a long and awful day that would precedent many long and awful weeks. And Tai, much newer to their relationship than he and Qrow had been when they had been discovered, might be the cost this time. The idea that he might lose the blond when he barely got to have him at all just because people couldn’t mind their own god damn business infuriated him as much as it tore him apart.

Other than a quiet glance his way, Winter said nothing as she turned into the parking lot of the police station.

* * *

“He’s over here, being as cooperative as ever.” The commissioner said as she led him through the interrogation center, something about her tone belaying someone whose day had already been too much. On top of everything else in her lap that day, having to deal with Qrow’s ornery attitude, of which she was all-too familiar with, probably was the cherry on top of her least favorite type of sundae.

“I’m sorry about this.” James replied. Lila Bradley had been a friend ever since his academy days and she had always been a trusted confidant when it came to keeping him in the loop of certain local legal issues that he might need to be aware of – the most brazen of which was the pedophile case of a recognized officer’s brother.

However, he had never thought he’d need her assistance on such a personal matter before. He knew it was no mistake that his two lovers had ended up in her hands, and for that, he was already grateful.

The commissioner plucked some keys off a wall, morosely staring at the two-way mirror as she said, “It couldn’t just be another bar fight, could it?”

James peered in as well.

Qrow was balancing on his chair’s back two legs, arms loosely crossed over his chest as he spoke more to the ceiling then his audience. “Look, I don’t know what you want me to say. I told the kid to back off. He didn’t. Then he said some shit he shouldn’t have and it got him in trouble. If you ask me, he caused his own situation there.”

His interrogator standing across from him was a young woman. Her long braid of pinkish-white hair fell over her shoulder as she shook her head at him. “So, you think what your friend did back there was just fine and dandy?”

“ _Perhaps_ ,” He said the word almost as spitefully as Tai had, “The fucker should have considered his mouth before calling us a bunch of sluts all over national television.”

The deputy questioning him remained unmoved by their plight, saying steadily, “That’s still no reason to send a guy to a hospital. He wasn’t threatening you in any way. You should have just walked away.”

“Thanks for the life lesson there Eggshell.” He replied, voice drawling with sarcasm, “Should I try talking things out with Grimm next? Start sending out invitations to tea parties?”

She slammed her hands down on the table. “That’s not even remotely-”

Lila unlocked and opened the door in one quick movement, stepping into the room. “Shelly!”

The officer jerked around. “Ma’am!” When he walked into the room next, her eyes bulged some, quickly saluting as her heels clicked together. “General, sir!”

“At ease.” He told her.

“We’ll take over from here. Go take a break.” Her boss added.

Once Shelly had left and the door was again closed, he turned to Qrow. The man hadn’t even moved, though he did smirk his way. “Hey Jimmy-boy. Finally left that stuffy office long enough to come save me?”

“I don’t know. A day in here might do you some good.”

“Please don’t inflict that on me.” Lila said as she flipped off the microphone and camera to the room, allowing the three of them some true privacy.

The legs of the chair made an audible clack as they landed back on the floor, the man sending her a wink. “An evening with me too much for you, toots?”

“I’m certain your star performance is ten minutes at best,” Was her short return as she leaned back against the wall.

There was an amused snort, but as James came to stand beside him, Qrow looked towards him, “You saw the video, right?”

“Yeah.” Just the thought of it was enough to make his headache creep back, “I did.”

“The hell are we gonna do?”

For the long term, he had no idea. But for right now… “Under normal circumstances, he’d have to be executed here for the crime. But Tai’s not a citizen of Atlas yet, meaning he falls under the jurisdiction of the military, not the local authorities. It won’t take much for him to be appointed under my charge.”

That seemed to ease Qrow some, until the commissioner spoke up, “But, by the time this all hits the court, he’ll have his green card, so he’ll still have to attend a sentencing and he’ll be tried as a citizen regardless. In the best-case scenario, a lawyer will be able to convince the jury that Sikes assaulted first, but there’s a very high chance he’s going to be doing some time.”

“Ugh.” The huntsman groaned, placing his head in his hands. “Why is Atlas so fucked up?”

“Moreover though,” Lila turned to James, saying, “Do you really want to pull Taiyang out of here based on a technicality like that?”

“What?” Qrow looked up. “Why the fuck wouldn’t he?!”

“You give him special treatment now, the defense will flock to that like sheep; but if you make him responsible, the judge might take more sympathy.” She sighed, running a hand through her pixie-cut brown hair. “Look, if you want my true opinion? No matter which way I angle it, I’ve still got someone in a hospital and someone who needs to be held responsible. The best option is to keep him in holding until things calm down.”

“Hell no.”

James gave the man beside him a look that he hoped said ‘behave’, before saying softly, “Lila, I know how this looks-”

“Do you?” She cut back tersely. “James, if this had been one of your men, you would have incarcerated them yourself.”

“Or shot them.” Qrow quipped with bitter humor.

Ignoring that, she folded her arms over her chest, continuing, “I’m just saying, you’re not exactly the most objective person to be making a decision like this right now. If the public finds out you released Taiyang, you _know_ how the press will try to twist that.”

“Who cares about the damn press! We’re not leaving him here!”

“ _You_ should, if you give any merit to the men you’re dating, that is.”

The huntsman was on his feet almost immediately. “Where do you get off-”

“ _Qrow!_ ” The snap of his name made him flinch, the man turning to scowl down at him. “She’s not wrong. We are making this decision solely on emotion.”

“No, yeah I get it, believe me.” He waved his arms out expressively, before placing a hand on the table to lean forward, an angry gleam in his red eyes. “But thing is Jimmy, that shit’s already out for the whole world to see. So, while we all put up with the fact that every damn newspaper and magazine from here to the black markets of Vacuo chat about how we’re whoring my best friend around between us, least we can fucking do is let him suffer in the comfort of his own home before he has to be holed up in a goddamn jail cell!”

James breathed softly through his nose, trying to stay calm. “Sometimes to avoid exasperating a situation, it requires making a decision we may not prefer.” He could already see a retort on the tip of the other’s tongue, so he said first, “But it does not mean we should be the one’s making it.”

That caught the other off guard. “Meaning?”

He glanced over to Lila. “Would it be possible for us to see Tai?”

Her eyes darted between them, before she pushed off the wall. “Of course. I’ll bring him here.”

When the door had shut again he turned back to Qrow. Most of the fight had blown out of the man, leaving him partially slumped against the table as he scowled at the wall. He stepped up next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “One way or another, we’re going to figure this out, Qrow.” He followed the length of his arm until he could curl his own hand around the other’s where it was curled tightly around the edge of the table. “I promise.”

Whether the other believed him or not was hard to tell, but eventually the tension eased as he turned his hand, interlacing their fingers together and pressing himself against James’ side. “Can’t be any harder than fighting Salem, right?”

“Can’t imagine it will be.” He said, nuzzling his face into Qrow’s hair.

“Hey now, do you know how long that takes me to style?”

“Unfortunately yes, I do.” He joked lightly. “You’re undoubtably the reason they call it fashionably late.”

He got hip-checked in reprimand for that one. “I’m not that bad.”

“And yet I was the one who had to lie about when our dates started.”

“Pff, whatever.” He turned his head so it rested in the hollow of James’ clavicle.

They continued on like that, keeping the conversation light, just trying to find a way to pass the time as they waited. None of it was consequential, though James did find out his two lovers indeed had been on a lunch date enjoying the warm spring day, before they’d been ambushed. Likewise, he told Qrow about his mock plans to put him as the figurehead on the council so he could convince all the other “high collars” where they could shove their fiscal budget; mostly, he just enjoyed hearing him chuckle. When they ran out of things to say, they just stayed close, silently supporting each other as the weight of the mess they were in tried to weigh on them. It wasn’t until they heard the turn of the lock in the door that they pulled apart, watching as it opened and Lila ushered Tai into the room.

As Qrow flocked to his best friend’s side, Lila eyed him and gave him a nod. “Take all the time you need.”

“Thank you.” James replied frankly. Another click of the door and they were once more locked in.

“You alright?”

“Yeah. I mean, not really but…”

He turned his gaze to the two men. Qrow had his hand around the other’s wrist, bowing his back a bit to try and get the blond to look at him. “Tai,” He said stepping forward and it was enough that Tai darted his gaze towards him. The sight of him gave him pause. His face had paled like the life had been drained from him and stress and fear carved wrinkles into his forehead. But none of that stood out quite like: “Your eyes…”

Lilac-shaded eyes blinked back at him, and then he looked down, chuckling humorlessly as he held up his free hand. “Yeah, no aura.”

He recognized the inhibitor instantly of course. He’d put the same binds on many previous criminals himself. But looking at the white handcuff, blue lights on it indicating it was functioning and depleting the wearer’s aura, James couldn’t help but feel how wrong it was to see that same bind on Tai of all people. He reached out and caught his hand, rubbing gently at the reddened skin where the shackle had chaffed it, whispering solemnly, “I’m sorry.”

“Why are _you_ sorry?” Tai was staring at him again. “I’m the one who punched someone through a window!”

“Because someone decided to dig through your history and shame you on public television!” He could feel his blood running hot again and he quickly let go of the other so he didn’t accidentally grip him too hard. “You and Qrow shouldn’t be harassed like this on the streets. But you will be, all because you’re with me.”

“Oh hell no.” Qrow intervened loudly, whirling on him. “Stop those damn thoughts right now because you are not doing this again.”  

“But-”

“No, I fucking mean it!” He said, cutting his hand through the air. “The rest of the world can go fuck itself!”

Tai placed a hand on his teammate’s shoulder, glancing his way. “I think what Qrow means in his delightfully articulate way is: we know who we’re dating James. You’re a public figure and that means everyone is going to be in your business. Honestly, I knew it was only a matter of time someone would headline me as being some affair or mistress.” That caught James a bit off guard, guilt tangling its way through his heart. He had _predicted_ this? Tai was staring back at the ground again, running a hand over the back of his neck. “But I never expected them to make the same claims about you guys. Or Raven and Summer. That’s why I lost it. I can handle someone insulting me. But I wasn’t really ready to have someone insult everyone I’ve ever loved.”

“It was low.” Qrow spit caustically.

“That’s no excuse!” He retorted, voice cracking. “Everyone’s going to pay consequences for this, not just me. Reporters are going to be stalking you both for weeks!” Tai turned towards him. “And I know the council is going to be on your ass over this for months.”

True as it was, the urge to argue the matter surged through him. James didn’t want him thinking that was his fault – and anyways, the unfortunate truth was even had there been no violent retaliation, the fallout probably would have been about the same. It was just a bit more complicated now.

He never got a chance before the other was shaking his head, tangling his hand into his blond hair. “I haven’t even considered Ruby and Yang. I can’t even get ahold of them from in here. And that poor kid.” His watering eyes squeezed shut. “Fuck! I didn’t mean to hurt him. I don’t even know if he’s okay.” 

Whatever residual blame James was feeling was quickly overshadowed by his sudden worry for Tai. He carefully coaxed the hand from his hair, letting him hold onto him instead. “I called on the way over. Sikes is going to make a full recovery.”

“And I’ll smooth things over with the girls.” Qrow said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. “Things are going to be fine Tai-guy. Come on, let’s sit down, alright?”

Many minutes later found them all sitting back against the wall. A much calmer Tai was between them, sitting crossed legged. James was at his left, his arm braced along the blond’s waist for comfort as he let him lean up against his shoulder. At his right was Qrow, one knee drawn up and hand dangling over it, while his other held Tai’s. As the tension eased, they started to shuffle through their options on what to do next.

“How about this,” Qrow intervened as they cycled over the pros and cons of putting Tai under military house arrest for the third time now, “What’s the best and worst case scenario here?”

James rubbed his chin, thinking it over. “Best case is Sikes never presses charges. We won’t know whether he will be or not until he can make an official statement with the police, which will probably be a few days from now. But if he doesn’t, then we’ll just have to deal with some fines and this’ll blow over in a few weeks.”

“What’s the likelihood of that though?”

“Not very. Even if he doesn’t want to, I imagine his superiors will push him into it just for the coverage.”  

Tai tilted his head just enough to look up at him. “And worst case?”

He grimaced, unable to meet his eyes. “Would be you getting the maximum sentence. It would be about half a dozen counts of assault, one count on property damage and one count battery. If it’s all treated like a misdemeanor, it would result in quite a few fines and about a year in jail. But, the problem is the battery count. If the judge determines it was a felony… that could be an additional four years.”

He heard the nervous swallow, Tai saying weakly, “That’s scary.”

“That’s the worst case and I really can’t see it going that far.” But it could, and that was the problem.

Qrow scoffed, scowling at nothing in particular. “What about what Pixie-cut said, that Sikes assaulted first? How does that work? He didn’t attack us.”

“No but assault can be verbal too. Technically, he never got permission to film or question either of you.” James explained. “You had denied consent entirely and even though Tai gave answers, the omission of saying yes still counts. Defacing someone’s character isn’t exactly lawful in the books either. It won’t abolish his own charges, but the fact that it can be construed that Tai was baited, it might help lessen whatever sentence he gets.”

“But that’s why I can have so many counts against me too, right?” The blond spoke up, realization dawning along his face. “Because I threatened the camera guy and could of hurt bystanders?”

“Right.”

Tai pressed a hand over his face, heaving a sigh, “All this legal stuff is a bit beyond me.” He straightened up, looking between the two of them. “Alright, before we do anything rash, why don’t you guys go and consult a lawyer? You can ask them what the best course of action is.”

That was actually a fairly solid idea. “But we’d have to leave you in here.” James pointed out.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I know.”

“I don’t really like that.” Qrow grumbled, sliding down the wall some.

“Neither do I, but it’s safe. And right now, that’s what we need: to play it safe.” He pulled a bit at the shackle, twisting it along his skin. “Besides, I’m not trying to erase myself of any responsibility on this. I screwed up. So I’ll face whatever consequences I get for it.”

Qrow groaned, burying his head into the blond’s arm as he growled, “I hate it when you get self-righteous like this.”

Tai spared him a compassionate smile, running his fingers through the other’s dark hair, just enough to get those red eyes to peer up at him again. “Sorry, not all of us can be as immoral as you.”

Though James couldn’t see Qrow’s expression, he could see the blond’s. How his smile faded and the light in his eyes went out as the weight of the situation crushed over him once more. Tai reached out, pulling his best friend close and clinging onto him almost desperately. The other man said nothing, just pressed his face into his neck.

The sight of them seemed to amplify the heaviness James could also feel, almost making it hard to breathe. He moved forward, curving his other arm around Qrow’s thin waist as he dragged them both against his chest and whispered baseless promises against their hair, “We’ll be fine. We’re going to get through this.”

He just prayed that he could somehow make those words true.

* * *

James lifted his head from his hand when a mug was placed down on his desk. From the aroma, he could tell it was coffee. He looked up at the person who had brought it to him curiously.

“You looked like you could use it.” Winter said in way of explanation, straightening up respectively. “If I may be so bold, sir, you haven’t been looking well.”

“I’m fine.” He replied, rubbing a hand over his burning eyes. “Things have just been… stressful at home.”

That was an understatement. Things were absolutely miserable.

Winter gave a nod, crossing her arms behind herself. “I can imagine.” She seemed to debate her next words carefully, before adding, “While I’ve always respected your dedication, I do hope you’ll consider some time to yourself soon, sir.”

Irritation hit him like a wave on the beach, fast and then receding quickly, leaving him further worn. Could he really fault her concern? He knew how he must appear. “I will… consider it Schnee. But for now, I need to finish my work.” He nodded to the cup. “Thank you for the coffee.”

She saluted. “Sir.” And with that, turned and left the room.

He sighed, slumping back over to rest his head back into his hands.

Though Sikes had awoken after the first day in the hospital, he had yet to give any sort of statement. It had been nine days now and still no news. The apprehension was starting to get to even him, but it seemed to be even worse on Qrow. The huntsman was refusing to leave the house, unwilling to face the press right now, and most nights found him drinking heavily. He doubted he was eating much, intaking his calories with the alcohol instead.

Tensions really came to a head last night though, when Qrow ran his last bottle of whiskey dry and James denied going out to get him more, claiming he’d be better off without it. Which, of course, rose slurred allegations of him acting like a tyrannical know-it-all. Fighting with a drunk Qrow was never pleasant. But he quickly discovered dealing with a crying, drunk Qrow was worse which was where things eventually ended. He had never seen the other man like this before. Had it not been for Tai, frowning knowingly at the updates on his behavior, not warned him of the potential outcome, it might have even scared him a bit.

Since this morning, with some time to sober up, Qrow was doing much better both emotionally and mentally, but the whole fiasco had left James only a few hours to sleep before he had to roll out of bed again. Not that it really mattered, since after many long years of dormancy, his insomniac tendencies decided to return with a vengeance. He’d already been up over twenty-four hours on two occasions now, mind too wrapped up in anxious thoughts to allow him to slow down and rest. When he was at home, he felt like he wasn’t doing enough. But when he was at work, he was struggling to focus. And when he wasn’t dealing with the press or council breathing down his neck, he was spending it at the police department.

He could still see the concern in those lilac eyes as Tai asked, “James, you have been sleeping, right?”

He shook off the memory. Of all of them, Tai was handling things the best, despite being in the most dire situation. Every time they met in the visitation center, he was doing his best to smile and even crack a joke or two. Had already said more than once now that worrying over the unknown wasn’t good for them and all they could do was wait until they had something more concrete. If he had to guess, James wagered he was putting on a brave front for him – and Qrow, who may not have been visiting in person but was sneaking out in bird form to sit at Tai’s window.

The ringing of his phone jerked James upright, and he blinked down at the device blearily. When it gave another shrill tone, the noise buzzing oddly along his dim senses, he reached out and picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

“I have wonderful news!” It was Nikolas Falco, the defense attorney he had hired to look into their case. Lila had been the one to recommend him, telling him he was the best in the business. Though the slightly eccentric thirty-year-old was certainly not what he expected when he walked into his office the first time. He heard the man give a cough as he remembered himself, “I mean, General Ironwood, sir, I-”

“You can get to the point, Falco.” He said, not caring for semantics right now. “What did you hear? Did we get a plea bargain?”

“Even better! Sikes isn’t going to press charges!” He practically sang.

“W-What?” James fell back against his chair, unable to believe it. “But, why?”

Falco gave a thoughtful hum. “No clue. Sometimes people just don’t want to go through the trouble. Other people don’t want to get mixed into a high-end case with a powerful figure. Or maybe he was just feeling guilty. Either way, you know what they say: Don’t look a Griffon Grimm in the mouth unless you want to get bit!” He snickered. When James failed to answer, the lawyer coughed, then said, “Anyways, congratulations! I’ve already given word to the commissioner. She’s ready to release Mr. Xiao Long upon your arrival. So, if you want my advice, get going!”

That seemed to break him from his shock, jumping to his feet. “Right, of course! Thank you, Falco. I’ll send you a check tomorrow.” He hurriedly ended the call, before lifting the receiver again, heart pounding rapidly as he started to dial Qrow’s number. Tai, he’d be coming home today! He couldn’t believe their luck!

Just as he was about to press the last digit in, his eyes fell to the coffee still cooling on his desk. His hand hovered there, suspicion starting to grow, and then he pressed down on the cradle, hanging up the call. When he dialed again, it was much slower, more deliberate.

It didn’t take long for the Intelligence Department to answer. “General Ironwood, it’s a pleasure!”

“Cecilia, I need a number.”

“Of course. For who?”

He told her, quickly writing it down when she’d gathered the information for him. As he dialed that number, he slowly took his seat, breath stuck in his throat as he waited for an answer.

Just when he thought it might go to an answering machine instead, he heard the click of someone picking up, and then a gentle voice of an elder woman was in his ear. “Hello?”

“Good day ma’am. Is this Mrs. Lola Sikes?”

“Why yes, it is. How may I help you?”

“Mrs. Sikes, I apologize for calling at this time, but this is General James Ironwood.”

He heard her gasp. “O-Oh! Oh my.” She pulled away from the phone, probably hoping she was being discreet as she took a few deep breathes. When she came back to the phone, her tone was cheery and bright, “I feel honored, General. Did you call to speak with my son?”

“I would prefer he continue to rest. I understand he is still recovering, though if you can give him my gratitude for not pressing charges I would be eternally grateful. I also wished to offer my condolences and deepest regret over what happened. I would have reached out sooner, had the situation not been what it was.”

“Never you mind that.” She was quick to say. “I raised my boy to be more respectful then he was that day, so if anyone should apologize, I feel it should be me. Ollie will be just fine and maybe now he’ll think a bit more before he opens his mouth. Not that he’ll be opening it at all until those wires come out.”

He wasn’t sure whether he was meant to laugh or not; his lips quirked up all the same as he lent forward, folding an arm across his desk. “Be that as it may, I know those medical charges must be steep. At the very least, allow me to front them.”   

“That is very kind of you, truly. But, it’s already been taken care of.”

“Oh? May I ask by whom?”

“Why, Miss. Winter Schnee of course.” He _knew_ it. James shut his eyes, listening to her continue on, “It was quite a shock when she came in to check on my son in the hospital. Quite a lovely and sweet girl, really. She spoke very highly of you as well.”

“I see. She is my best subordinate. Well, I suppose I should let you go then. Again, I apologize for all the trouble caused. If there is anything else I can possibly provide, please do not hesitate to ask.”

Mrs. Sikes gave a soft noise of disapproval. “Believe me General, I’m just glad to be done with this awful situation. I wish you and yours well.”

“As I yours.” He replied. “Have a good day ma’am.”

He set the phone down and lifted it up one more time. Rather then punching in a number, he quickly dialed the extension to the office secretary. “Jaxon, can you call Schnee back to my office?”

“Yes, sir!”

By the time his door was opening, James had already packed up and was waiting in front of his desk. Though she seemed a bit taken aback by his change of demeanor, she saluted him all the same. “You asked for my presence General?”

“I did.” James said, leaning back against the wooden surface behind him as he crossed his arms. “Tai’s being released today. As it turns out, there won’t be any charges against him.”

“Really? That’s wonderful news!” She said, and had he not been looking for it, even he would have been fooled by the falsely surprised tone. She was once Jacques’ perfect performance doll after all, and those skills had never quite left her arsenal.

“Yes. It is.” He agreed slowly, “However, when I offered the Sikes household reimbursement for the bills, it turns out it was already taken care of. I imagine that same generous donor also persuaded him from going through with the case.” The growing wariness on her face fell to shame as she realized she had been discovered, her head lowering. He knew the reaction had very little to do with him, but it still pained him to see her like this. What teachings did you have to give to a child to make them believe being kind was a crime?

He pushed off from the desk, approaching her slowly.

“Sir?” She asked him questionably, only to gasp in surprise when he reached out, pulling her into a gentle embrace. She stood rigidly, stunned and maybe a bit confused. “S-Sir?”

“Thank you, Winter.” He said sincerely, though the longer she remained stiff and unmoving in his arms, the more he worried he maybe overstepped his bounds.

Just as he was considering to pull away, she relaxed, returning the gesture hesitantly. “It was nothing, James. Really.”

He smiled. “If I thought you’d accept it, I’d offer to pay you back.”

As expected, she shook her head. “With all due respect, this was one I owed to you.” That got him to draw back finally, quirking an eyebrow in question. She looked up towards him, saying, “Do you remember what you told me when my father was holding me back from the specialist exams?  You said if I truly wished to become a Huntress, to be all that I could be, that I’d have to take some risks every now and again. It gave me the courage to finally step away from my family, to become my own person. And it’s with that, I was able to finally find happiness.” Her own smile was small but genuine. “Protecting your happiness in return was the least I could do.”

“You had that strength in you all along.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I just gave you a nudge in the right direction.”

In the sassiest tone she would ever allow herself around him, she replied, “Then I gave you a shove.”

James laughed heartily. “Indeed. Thank you.”

She nodded, then added, “If I may ask one favor though?”

“Anything.”

“Don’t… tell Qrow about this.” She rolled her eyes. “He’ll _never_ shut up if he knows.”

He didn’t have to stretch his imagination far to picture the scenario. It would probably only take one ‘Ice Queen what finally went and melted _your_ heart?’ for Atlas Academy’s courtyard to be the next on the list of unfortunate causalities that resulted from their skirmishing. And they didn’t have a Glynda to put it all back together when they were done, either.

“Consider it done.”

She relaxed considerably. “Excellent. Are you heading to the police station then?”

“After a few calls, yes.”

“Allow me to let you get to it.” Her heels clacked together. “I hope you have a good evening, sir.”

“You as well, Winter.” As she took her leave, he crossed back over to his desk, pulling out his scroll. There would still be a lot to deal with in the coming weeks, but things were certainly in a much better place then they had been just an hour ago.

“Mmmgha, yea Jim?”

As soon as James heard Qrow’s sleepy drawl, joy zinged through him as he circled his desk, looking for his keys. Nothing in the world could have made him stop smiling at that moment. “You’ll _never_ believe the call I just got.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and I hope you’ll all stick with me for the next one. Tai’s perspective is up next!
> 
> A few inconsequential notes:
> 
> I’m not sure how clear I made it, but Tai’s semblance in this is meant to be “aura disruption”. Basically, when his semblance is active, he can go right past someone else’s to deliver a wounding hit right off the bat. And while most semblances aren’t hereditary, I adore the idea that between parents and kids they can have similarities between them just because of genetics or whatever. Which is why, like his daughter, his semblance also creates a change of eye color and temperament.
> 
> Atlas’ police, legal and citizenship systems are American inspired but done with amateur research. Anima is of course Asian, with the mentions of Tai’s culture being drawn from Chinese history specifically. Vale, and by extension Patch, is supposed to be subtly European, as the Europe area was the first to make Psychology a science (Germany, actually). Whether that’s accurate to what the show is actually doing is kind of up in the air, since the culture references are all over the place.
> 
> James and Winter’s very slight father-daughter relationship is entirely because of Jacques line about how James “stole his daughter from him”.
> 
> Name inspirations:
> 
> Oliver Sikes is a reference to Oliver Twist. Oliver being the protagonist, Sikes being the antagonist. Sikes, ironically, has a prostitute for a girlfriend in the book. I made him a ginger after Oliver the cat from Disney’s Oliver’s Company. 
> 
> Jewell Olsen and Lola Sikes are both references to Superman’s Jimmy Olsen and LOis LAne.
> 
> Nikolas Falco is a reference to Law and Order’s detective Nick Falco but the eccentric nature is meant to give a more Pheonix Wright vibe. 
> 
> Shelly is a reference to seashells. 
> 
> Lila Bradley isn’t a reference to anyone, I just liked the last name and had to find something that sounded good with it and fit the color naming rule. Same for Cecilia, Jaxon and Major Sergeant Steele.


	2. To Think Good

Tai used to have very vivid dreams.

So vivid, in fact, that there had been times he had woken up thinking Raven or, more often, Summer was sleeping next to him, only to turn around and find the bed empty, and the loss would rip out his heart all over again. It had been the most difficult obstacle of his depression and the thing that would most often set him back from recovery. Yet, eventually, he moved past those days and his mind stopped playing cruel tricks on him.

He curled his legs up closer, hands covering his mouth tightly to quiet another sob.

(It’s okay. Everything’s okay.)

So why, after all these years and with his bed fuller then ever before, was it happening again?

Tai sucked in soft breaths, trying to get a handle of himself as he blinked away tears, shooting his gaze up at James. The man’s face was still smoothly lined with sleep. Over the curve of his shoulder, Tai could see the digital clock reading it was a little past 2 AM. But the man would have to be up in a few hours to start getting ready for the meeting he’d be running early this morning. He couldn’t accidentally wake him up over a stupid dream; he’d be exhausted for nothing.

(Not nothing. You’re not nothing.)

He immediately realized what a poor train of thought that was in his current state of mind, guilt stabbing him like daggers in his chest. He shut his eyes, feeling more tears running down the knuckles of his hands.

He was too afraid to even try and look at Qrow, whose back was brushed up against his own. His only reassurance that the other hadn’t awakened were his light snores. The former bandit had never liked feeling boxed in and James preferred to sleep on his right side and face the both of them, so it always left Tai in the middle. He never really minded, feeling secure and warm between the two of them.

The only problem was if he needed to get up first – which, being an early riser, was often the case – he could never escape the bed without waking one of the trained Huntsman. On a normal day, once they’d made sure it was just him, they’d generally just drift back off or sometimes James would get up too and they’d spend the morning hour together. Very, very rarely, Qrow would slink down the stairs after them, drawn in by the smell of breakfast and coffee.

But, he couldn’t get up and let them see him like this. How was he supposed to explain this? How could he even think to tell them about…?

(You can tell them. They’d understand.)

As the dreams played back on rewind, a sob startled past him and Tai bit down on his lip. Minute trembles worked their way down his limbs as he struggled to stop crying, but as the pain in his chest only seemed to increase, crushing down on his lungs, another wrecked noise tore from his throat.

It was just as he felt a shift behind him that he realized the snoring had stopped, and suddenly the room flooded with soft yellow light as Qrow turned on the lamp. “Tai?” He said, voice still thick with sleep.

Though a hundred responses ran through his mind, Tai didn’t speak, still struggling to remain quiet. A warm hand pressed against his shoulder blades, rubbing gentle circles there while a long leg wormed its way over his own – and then kicked James in the shin.

The general gave a surprised snort, eyebrows pinched together as he slurred, “Wha?” He blinked blearily as he adjusted to the light. When his gaze fell on him, Tai closed his own eyes, shame and guilt warring inside of him like vicious vipers. A hand brushed along his forehead. “Tai?”

The touch, more tender then one would believe it could be from such a strong man, broke him and he started to cry. Hard. “I’m sorry.” He got out between hitched breathes.

“Ssh, ssh it’s okay.” James rumbled softly, reaching out to take one of Tai’s hands and squeezing it gently.

“We got you Tai-guy,” Qrow said, slinking an arm around his waist to hold him.

(They’ll always have you.

Everything’s going to be fine.)

He wasn’t sure how long it took him to cry himself out, but by the time he had, the top of his head was resting against a metal breastplate while James wiped away some of his tears with his thumb. Qrow was spooning him from behind, pressing gentle kisses along his back. At some point, Tai’s hand had found the one at his waist, their fingers now laced loosely together.

“What happened?” James asked.

Tai swallowed against the soreness in his throat, rasping, “Bad dream. I thought it was real.” He stared intently at the grooves of metal in his peripheral. “Used to have them all the time after…”

“After?”

He took a steadying breath. “When I lost Summer. Would wake up a lot thinking she was still… alive.”

Qrow _froze_. “What?” Had he not known him as long as he had, he might have mistaken the slight bite to his tone as anger. But, he’d learned a long time ago it was actually one of hurt. “You never told me about that.”

He curled up a little tighter. “Didn’t tell you about a lot of things.” Not even close.

James shot a warning look past him, his voice still soft but commanding, “We can talk about that some other time.”

After a moment, he felt another kiss against the nape of his neck. “Right, right. Sorry.” There was a momentary pause, and when Qrow came back he sounded more uncertain, “So, you dreamt about her?” When Tai only shook his head, he pressed further, “Then?”

Though anxiety reeled his insides up like they were on a fishing rod, he managed to carefully untangle himself from the two so he could sit up and face them instead. After a moment, they did so as well, watching him with a mixture of concern and curiosity. “When this all started, you guys remember how I told you I was feeling kind of insecure about the whole thing?” He held his wrist, rotating it nervously, “Back then, I said it was because I’d be with Huntsman again, who I could lose at any moment. And that is true but… it wasn’t really, the _whole_ truth.”

Qrow made a sharp motion, just the faintest jerk his way as if he was going to reach out for him. He _knew_ like he knew his own last name that his former teammate would _never_ hurt him, but the movement made him flinch all the same.

( _There was a smack. A shout. Red eyes so like Qrow’s but less like gemstones and more like blood as the woman who bore them ordered him out of the room.)_

James grabbed his shoulder before he could get very far, solid grip keeping him in place as he leveled Tai with a gaze both stern and open. “What’s the whole truth?”

He looked between them, steeling himself like his more cybernetic lover. “When we first started out, one of the reasons I felt so uncertain was because you two had already been together so long. And it wasn’t like our first encounter was a date.”

It had been a tryst, really. A wonderful, amazing, best-sex-of-his-life tryst.

But when he had awoken and found his bed empty, it had left a tear in his heart he hadn’t even meant to let be there. Even when he found them minutes afterward, both still a bit hungover and laughing as they poorly tried to make muffins, the tear struggled to mend and did so messily. The love that had been between them was so genuine and he felt selfish for wanting to be part of it. For wanting the two of them when they were already so right for one another. Yet greedily, he still _yearned_ for it. For them. So much so that when the offer came to the table for them to become polyamorous, he hadn’t even hesitated.

“Yeah, that was our bad.” Qrow agreed apologetically.

Tai shook his head, “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret it. I’ll never regret it. Ever.” He said with emphasis. He exhaled slowly, looking down at their bedsheets. The sight of them and the happy yellow Chinese dragons spread among them that, on a whim, James and Qrow had bought on a shopping trip for him – because they wanted to make him _happy_ – only spiked another wave of guilt and he almost choked around the words he said next. “But back then I couldn’t help but wonder: If you guys were doing so well for so long without me, what did you really need from me?” His arms curled around his midsection, unsure if his stomach or his chest hurt worse at this point. “That’s what I dreamt. That you two had finally gotten tired of me and… and left.”

A hand found its way to his knee and he looked up, meeting James’ earnest gaze that sparked a sense of déjà vu – it was the same look he had given him five months ago, locked in that interrogation room together, when he’d apologized for something Tai had never blamed him for in the first place. “You know that we would never do that, right?”

“I do.” He answered, and it was an honest one. “I don’t know where this all came from. I hadn’t really had these thoughts for awhile now but, I guess my subconscious did.”

The smile he gave him made him look unfairly handsome and comforted his soul. “Well let me tell it something then: You’re not some extra ornament we’re going to just put away when we don’t need it anymore. You, like Qrow, have become someone I cherish beyond any measure I ever thought I could possibly feel for another person, let alone two. And I feel so fortunate to have you in it. I love you, Tai.”

Tai reached up, running a hand through the other’s short hair, whispering back, “I love you too.” He would have kissed him, if not for a sudden sniffle that made them both look around. “Qrow?”

The man coughed, discreetly wiping the corners of his eyes. “Just all the dust mites in the air. And the saps in the room.” When they both silently lifted an arm to him though, he came, folding himself in between both of them. Nested there, secured by them, Qrow murmured, “Sometimes, I still wake up and wonder: what in all the Gods’ creations do you two see in me? But when I come home and you two just look at me as if I’m the greatest thing in your whole entire universes, it’s just… a really good feeling. And, because I suck at expressing myself, most days I just hope you guys can tell you’re my entire universe too.” He turned his head up some from where it was nestled against Tai’s collarbone, mumbling, “Insecurity’s a bitch, huh?”

“Lil’ bit.” Tai chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. He could see James had caught Qrow’s hand this time, tracing soothing patterns along his knuckles.

“And you said it just fine.” The general added.

“Mmm, good.” He paused, seeming thoughtful for a moment, then looked up at Tai. “Sorry, I stole your angst spotlight.”

He snorted, winding his arms around Qrow’s thin waist. “Don’t worry, always plenty of room in my spotlight for you.” He dipped down, dropping a few feather-light kisses along his neck that made the other squirm and laugh at the playfully ticklish feeling, before he dove up to catch his smiling lips in a chaste kiss.

James was watching them with a fond expression, but neither of them missed the way he hid a yawn behind his hand.

“Uh oh, Jimmy’s battery needs to be recharged.” Qrow teased.

He rolled his eyes some. “Ha, ha. Because that joke never gets old. Though,” He yawned again, “If everything is indeed alright, maybe a little extra shut eye would be a good idea?”

They both looked to him and the whole thing made Tai feel incomparably warm. “Yeah, I’m alright now. Thank you.”

“Anytime.” James said and he didn’t doubt he meant it.

“Hah, doesn’t matter for me anyways.” Qrow said, carelessly falling back on the bed, the springs bouncing him a bit. “I’m not getting up until one.”

“No,” Tai said as he stretched out beside him, feeling James’ weight settling on his other side. “You’re getting up at seven. You promised Ruby you’d go to that Schnee breakfast thing with her and Weiss, remember?”

He groaned, reaching for the light. “Why do I have such a conniving niece?”

“She gets it from her uncle.”

“Definitely.” James agreed, already half-asleep.

“Well, at least she learned from a master.” He joked.

As they settled back in, Tai sighed happily from the reassuring touch of Qrow’s body resting against his and the solidity of James’ arm coming around him. He drifted off to sleep, content knowing they’d both still be there tomorrow and for many, many days onward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was the first one written (all within the same night which is rare for me) yet is probably the weakest of the three. It's probably overly emotional - though Tai 'I have a heart tattoo on my arm like it's on my sleeve' McGee probably is the emotional center in this relationship. Originally, I never planned to post it. But when I ended up writing the other chapters, I decided the whole thing was worth putting up.
> 
> This is both inspired by Efrondeur's tale that goes with a similar theme, as well as based off of personal experience. I had a dream once that I thought something terrible had happened to my mom, and it left me shaken and crying once I'd woken up. Reading their story reminded me of that incident, and then I subsequently wrote this one because... logic!
> 
> Qrow's turn is next!


	3. To Speak Good

If someone told Qrow five years ago that he’d one day call Atlas his home, he would have laughed.

If that same someone added he’d do it entirely for James Ironwood, he would have told the guy he was more drunk than him.

Now, with the general dozing in the seat beside him and the tall white buildings that encompassed the upper streets of Atlas growing closer as the airship reached its port, he figured he probably owed that imaginary guy a round or two.

They’d both been gone a few months – he on a mission and James on security detail duty for this year’s Vytal Festival, as he often was. Both conveniently put them in Vacuo, so once he’d finished cleaning up an infestation of Grimm in the lower quadrant, he headed to the city, enjoying the rest of his time away with the other man. James was a bit too rigid to really appreciate the less reputable side of the kingdom which was rot with gambling and underground fight rings, so Qrow improvised, taking him to sand-sailing races and hiking trails instead. It was the walk through the hollowed-out mines, once filled with Dust and now left glittering with natural minerals and stalagmites that kaleidoscoped colors across the stone, that truly fascinated the elder man to the point he wanted to explore every inch of it. Rarely seeing him so boyishly eager, Qrow was happy to oblige even long after his feet were aching from standing too much.

It was all worth it if only for the moment he watched James place his hand against one of the crystals, awash in a gentle blue hue from the reflecting light, and Qrow couldn’t help but correlate the likeness of his lover to this place: that even if parts had been forever lost or broken, what remained was even more beautiful.

Of course, he never said it out loud. Spouting poetic nonsense like that was more Tai’s thing.

Qrow had gotten a chance to see his eldest niece too. She, along with Blake and some of the other kids from the old crew, were on a march across Vacuo with the restructured White Fang, hoping to spread awareness on Faunus civil rights using peaceful protest. They’d chosen to complete their pilgrimage at the crux of the festival, knowing the streets would be crowded from the event and the news reels would be more likely to headline their efforts.

So, mostly, Qrow stood in the thin shade of a light pole in a poor attempt to hide from the burning sun, holding up a sign and letting Yang talk his ear off. She had been so happy, animatedly recounting all the sights and cultures she had seen, all the strange foods she had tried, every new place bringing a new excitement. All of it wasn’t pleasant of course. They’d met a lot of opposition on their travels throughout Remnant that she mostly alluded to, but he couldn’t help but swell with pride as he realized his niece had found her way into following her dreams of being both an adventurer and a hero.

He stretched out his arms up above his head, hearing the slight crack of joints stiff from sitting too long, before he placed a hand on James’ metal shoulder, giving him a slight shake. As he started to rouse, Qrow said, “Time to wake up, Rin Tin Tin.”

Blue eyes blinked at him blearily, saying sleepily, “How do you even know that reference?”

“You have met Tai, right? If you think he didn’t own the deluxe boxset and spent every summer vacation watching it, you’d be very wrong.” He said in way of explanation, feeling the shift of gravity as the airship started to descend for a landing.

“I didn’t, because he doesn’t own it.”

“Not anymore.” Qrow said. “Someone _accidentally_ put it in the fireplace.”

“You did not.” There wasn’t an ounce of belief in that retort.

He grinned cheekily, “You’ll never know.”

James eyed him critically. “Well, you’ll be disappointed to know I did find the send button on my scroll.”

“Jimmy, you’ve evolved! What’s next old man? Using the coffee maker?” He snickered as the other reached out and shoved him.

“Oh, shut up.”

He saluted him. But, after a few seconds of silence, said, “Permission to speak, sir?”

James had a better poker face than most, but even he was struggling not to smile. “Denied.”

“Rude, sir.” He considered it a personal victory when he heard the other laugh softly.

“Come on, cadet.” The man said as the plane jerked on its landing. “I’ve got to drop some stuff off at my office, but we can stop at the café first, alright?”

He responded with another little salute. “Sir, yes sir!”

* * *

 

Qrow sipped lukewarm coffee from the plastic cup as he watched the man who had bought it for him putter about his office, putting away some last-minute documents that he’d have to organize properly when he was next there. Back before they were dating, he used to ruthlessly tease James about how much of a workaholic he was, until the other eventually told him that he wasn’t the one who once spent literal years out on the field for his own profession. It had been one of the few times someone had managed to make him pause and actually _think_.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t heard a variation of it before – how the war was over. How he could take a break every now and again. But it was the way James said it, reminding him that years of his life were just _gone_ , that struck a chord with him and suddenly he understood he’d missed so much. He would never get to be at Yang’s graduation ceremony from Signal as the fiery blond cheered. He would never be able to capture the moment Ruby came home, shouting with joy over her early acceptance to Beacon. Hell, he’d never get to see that stupid, goofy smile Tai probably had when he adopted Zwei. The more he thought, the more the key events piled up, the more seriously he considered removing his name out of the Huntsman rotation permanently.

He never did, but he did lessen his prominence in the roster significantly.

So there he was, in the middle of restoration efforts for Vale city, trying to redefine his life choices, when James walks up to him and says, “Why don’t we go get some coffee?”

He hadn’t really grasped the implications when he agreed until he actually had the cup in his hands and was sitting across from the other. “Jimmy-boy, did you just ask me out on a date?”

“That was my intention, yes.”

“Oh.” And maybe it was because, after having worked together in close quarters for months as the war came to an end, he’d found that he didn’t dislike James nearly as much as he used to or maybe it was because he just wanted to have something he hadn’t allowed himself in years, that he found himself tacking on, “Well good.”

And that was the start of their relationship.

Now, as he sipped on the bitter, overshot brew and realized years had passed since that moment, he found himself not regretting the choice.

“So, we’ll be home within the hour.” James said as he shoved a few more papers into his desk.

“Sounds great!” Was the chipper reply from Tai, voice a bit crackly from being on speaker. “Either of you two hungry? I can make dinner.”

When that blue-eyed gaze turned to him questionably, Qrow called, “Something light.”

“Yeah. It was a long flight.” The general agreed.

“No problem. I can’t wait to hear all about your trip.”

With it being so early in the semester at Apollo Academy, Tai wasn’t able to get the vacation needed to join them. Not that he really wanted to abandon his class for that long anyways. Apollo was a small, secondary school designed to support smaller classrooms for children with special needs, such as amputees. Having a daughter and a lover both living with permanent prosthetics, it had sparked the man’s interest in helping others learn how to cope with their new body parts and reach a sense of normalcy again. While looking for work after he’d lost his former job following the whole newscast fiasco, he’d barely paused to think when he applied at the institute.

Watching Tai whoop and holler as he danced around the house after he’d gotten accepted for the position, Qrow could have sworn his friend was twenty again.

James closed another cabinet. “We’ll see you soon.”

“Yeah.” There was a smile in Tai’s voice as he added warmly, “I missed you guys.”

Qrow ducked behind his coffee as he smiled. James, who had paused to stare down at the phone, didn’t bother hiding his own as he said, “Yeah, us too.”

* * *

As he walked into their home, the first thing Qrow noticed was the smell of something sweet in the air that told him there was some confectionary baking in the oven. “We’re home!” He announced as he held the door for James, who came into the house with their luggage and carefully shuffled around Zwei who, despite his age, still found the energy to joyfully dart around his peoples’ legs whenever they got back.

There was a whistle, Tai standing in the alcove leading to the kitchen, “Zwei, come on buddy. You’re gonna make him trip.”

“It’s fine.” He said, lifting his square suitcase higher when, without warning, the clasp broke and a few weeks’ worth of clothing spilled out over the floor. The lump of dog underneath the clothing shifted and then he was popping his head back up, a pair of plaid briefs on his head.

When James sent a disgruntled look his way, Qrow shrugged, “Hey don’t blame me! I told you to replace that old thing years ago.”

“I still blame you.”

Laughing, their blond lover walked over, unearthing the rest of his poor corgi first before he started to gather up the clothes. James knelt down, seemingly to help, until his hand caught the younger’s wrist and, when he looked up, lent forward to press their lips together. Tai gave a gentle hum, smiling as he wound an arm over the other’s shoulders. They might have stayed like that awhile, if not for the buzzer from the kitchen that pulled them apart.

“Oh, that’s the dessert.”

“I got it.” Qrow said, giving Tai a wink as he passed on by.

“Well,” The wisecrack followed him, “There _was_ dessert at least.”

He could hear the softness of their voices continue on as he entered the kitchen where he was definitely not planning on stealing pieces of whatever confectionary Tai had decided to make. He found the mitts as he pulled open the oven door, and at first, he thought they were cupcakes, until he lifted them out and brought the tray into the light to discover they were actually muffins.

Huh. Today was just full of ironic food choices.

He set it down on the cooling rack and flicked off the oven, before giving the area a look over. Tai, whether it be on the team, in the family or in their relationship, had remained the cook – so his little haven was pristinely clean except for the vestiges of where dinner was being made. There was something shimmering on the stove and, when he lent forward to look through the glass top, saw it was soup – chicken noodle, he guessed. Lettuce, freshly cut and washed, sat in a strainer. On a cutting board, shredded carrots and radishes that were probably going to be mixed in to make a simple salad. The tea kettle puffed out steam where it sat on the counter; he’d bet every lien he had that it was Jasmine. Their table had already been set; wooden chopsticks by his and Tai’s plates and more durable, metal ones for James.

By the time he was peeling off the paper liner from one of the muffins, his best friend was back, rolling his eyes at him. “Really?”

“It’s what you get for baiting me.” He replied before taking a huge bite.

Tai chuckled, before he went back to making dinner, dicing the rest of the radishes. As he worked, Qrow destroyed the rest of his muffin in a few quick bites, then sidled up next to the other. The knife slowed, the blonde observing him from the corner of his eye. “Can I help you?”

“Well I was thinking,” He started, dancing his fingers along the other’s back, but trailed off when the other jolted away. “Uh, you alright?”

Tai flushed a bit. “Yeah, sorry. That surprised me.”

“Geez, you’re getting old too.”

“Make more jokes like that and I’m hiding the rest of the muffins.”

“Forgive me!” Qrow rested a hand over his heart overdramatically, falling against the other’s shoulder. “For I know not what I say!”

His friend tried his best not to snicker but his grin was untamable. He set down the knife in favor of winding his toned arms around him, bringing them flush together. Tai pecked fond, little kisses along his face, until finally he got to his lips, lingering there. Qrow’s eyes slid shut, leaning in to the caress as he raked his hands through blond hair.

It was the hissing of the overflowing pot that drew Tai away this time. “Ah damn it,” He cursed softly before hurrying over to lift the pot off the burner.

Qrow lent back against the counter, watching him as he pulled off the top, letting the steam out to cool the angrily bubbling liquid. His eyes wandered a bit, pausing curiously on the patch of reddened skin around the edges of the heart tattoo. “Your arm…”

“Huh?” Tai glanced at him, then followed his gaze down to his own still-healing skin. “Oh yeah; I got it touched up, remember?”

“Thought you said you were doing that a few weeks ago?”

He shrugged, turning away to stir the soup. “Well, yeah but Ruby wanted to come with me. So, I postponed.”

That took a minute to compute. “Wait. Did you convince my niece to get a tattoo?”

“No, no.” He was grinning almost manically as he pointed the spoon his way. “She convinced Weiss to get one.”

That revelation took longer, but when it did, Qrow’s eyes bulged. “What!? Ice princess got some ink?!”

“ _Please_ tell me Winter doesn’t know.” They both glanced over at James as he entered the room, looking weary already. “Otherwise I’ll never hear the end of it on Monday.”

“Well, it’s not exactly in a discreet place, unless she’s wearing a long dress or really tall boots.”

“Just perfect,” Was the sigh of defeat.

Qrow started to guffaw. “So it’s on her leg? What is it?”

“A red rose with the stem wrapping around her ankle. It’s quite pretty actually.” Tai said, sounding almost fond. Whether it simply be for the art of tattoos or over his unofficial daughter-in-law, it was a little hard to tell. “Anyways!” He reached up to pull down some bowls. “Dinner’s pretty much done. Qrow will you pour the tea?”

“You got it.”

As the day faded to evening and the three of them enjoyed dinner together for the first time in nearly five weeks, Qrow felt a familiar wash of calm overcome him. He had missed this: a dog dozing under the table at their feet and them talking about their day. James recounting somewhat irritably about how lack his security team was. Tai excitedly detailing how well the students from his class were doing. Qrow chiming in about the highlights from the festival.

And when James finally remembered to ask, “By the way, what happened to your copy of Rin Tin Tin?”

And Tai answered, “Oh. Qrow was drunk one night and thought the trees on the cover were firewood, so he put it in the fireplace.”

Qrow couldn’t stop laughing, feeling more at home than ever before.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t decide which chapter I like more, this one, or the one coming up. Qrow was just a pure joy to write.
> 
> So, if anyone is wondering about the chapter titles, I was looking for another “set of three” idea to name them after. While looking for ideas, I found out three is a really common number in a lot of religious practices – and I stumbled upon Zoroastrianism. One of the philosophies is just like the titles of the chapters – Thinking good, acting good and speaking good will lead to a good life. There’s a lot more to it of course, but that’s a basic principle on their lifestyle.
> 
> I realized the chapters aligned pretty well with these ideas, so I went with it.
> 
> Chapter 1 is all about good action. It certainly fits James and his disciplined nature the most but Qrow and Tai both have their moments on debating “what the right thing to do” is.
> 
> Chapter 2 is focused around good thinking, hence Tai’s many bracketed thoughts in which he’s trying to fight his poor psyche with better views (I actually added a few when I decided on the chapter title). Likewise, Qrow’s own thoughts are a bit see-sawed while James is the reassurance.
> 
> Chapter 3 has the weakest connection, because Qrow himself is not a “good” speaker seeing as I depicted him struggling with expressing himself and the plot definitely revolved around a “slice of life” style story. The entire decision basically comes down to the ending – where he finds the most peace and happiness in the simple act of talking around the dinner table with James and Tai.
> 
> Now, there’s only one chapter left, but don’t worry, I have a great title in mind! Stay tuned, it’ll be up within a week!


	4. To Love Good

It had all started with an innocent question.

It had been about a year and a half into their relationship. One night found them nestled together in a gentle afterglow when Qrow tilted his head up towards James and asked, “So, what’s your biggest sexual fantasy?”

“ ** _What!?_** ”

Okay, well.

Maybe innocent wasn’t the most… _correct_ word.

He had mostly brought it up to get a rise out of the other – so, it was probably karma that decided to laugh at him when James only hid his face and spluttered wordlessly, rather then calling him an uncouth heathen for even thinking he was anything but pristinely traditional. Interest piqued, he spent an exorbitant amount of time just coaxing the man to tell him. The more he evaded, the more curious Qrow got, and the more fanatical he started to believe this fantasy must be.

 “I just don’t want you to feel insulted.” James admitted, head tilted down.

“Hey, look at me.” It took a few seconds, but when he could see those deep blue eyes again, Qrow said, “Gimme a little faith here, huh? No matter what you have in that metal skull of yours isn’t going to make me doubt us.”

It seemed to be the magic words because the other gave a sigh as he spoke in hesitant pauses, “I’ve… always kind of… maybe… wanted to have a threesome?”

“Oh.” Well, that was underwhelming. “I’m down for that.”

“ ** _WHAT?!_** ”

So, they talked about it. At first, as just a passing thought; but the more the conversation was brought to the table, the more serious they got. Thing was, James wasn’t really the type to kiss and leave; and though Qrow had had the occasional fling here and there, impersonal sex with a stranger _and_ James in the mix just didn’t settle right. So, when they realized if they were going to do this it would have to be with someone they knew, they’d thought they’d hit a dead-end.

Except Qrow knew one person. Someone who would both consider the offer honestly and not think less of them for asking. Who had a strong enough connection with him and close enough one with James that it wasn’t likely to feel awkward – or at least, not in the way that it felt wrong.

Thus, that was the beginning of their planning on how they’d invite Taiyang into their bed with them.

Not that there weren’t a few kinks to work out before that.

“But, you two have known each other for so long. What if this ruins your friendship?”

Qrow shrugged, sipping his coffee. “I doubt it. We’ve dated before.”

A flabbergasted James just stared, dropping the pen he was holding to write a check for their mortgage, where it fell, unnoticed, to the ground. It was only minutes later that he started to pace and mumble to himself, which was not doing good things to Qrow’s nerves.

“Look, will you just calm down? The first time hardly even counts.”

The general whirled on him. “The first time?!”

“Just, sit down? Please?” He asked. When the other stiffly did so, Qrow slipped some whiskey into his brew and started to talk, “We were nineteen and dumb. It lasted three weeks. Though, believe me, we certainly acted like it was the end of the world.” He snorted at the memory of a younger him bemoaning about his life being over. It had probably been the most teenaged-minded he had ever been. “Summer had to knock the stupid out of our heads. But when she did, things worked out.”

“And the second?” James inquired, voice still rigid.

For good measure, Qrow took a swig straight from his flask. “The second time was more lasting.” He admitted. He wasn’t sure what to make of the expression that twisted across the other’s handsome features. “Look, it happened when we were in our early thirties. We worked together. We _lived_ together. We spent practically every god damn second of the day with each other. Raising the girls, making dinner, paying bills. We were so domestic. Then, one day, we’re going to bed and he’s kissing me good night.” He looked down at the table, trying to scratch out a blemish in the hardwood. “So, we gave it a shot. And for two years, everything was great.”

Perhaps detecting the shift in his tone, James seemed to ease, asking softly, “What happened?”

“I started working for Oz again.” Qrow said, scratching harder. “Missions ran longer. Got more dangerous. More complicated. Eventually, when I started to realize there was a good chance I might not come home, I broke it off.”

“To spare him losing you?”

“Yeah.” He whispered.

 For the most part, the conversation had ended there. As did their talk about their plans. Long enough that Qrow was pretty sure they had been dropped altogether. He didn’t let it get to him; it wasn’t like he didn’t have a shitload of insecurities that James had to deal with. So, if his lover wasn’t feeling comfortable with it anymore because he and Tai had history, he could respect that.

Then one Sunday afternoon while they were relaxing on the porch, James, out of the fucking blue, said, “What if instead of asking Taiyang for one night, we ask him if he wants to be a part of this relationship?”

“ _HUH?!_ ”

Looking back, he sometimes wondered if James waited so long just to get back at him.

In the end, they decided it was up to Tai. He could say yes or no to it all. Or he could say yes to the sex, no to the relationship. Or even say no to the sex for now, yes to the relationship first (Qrow placed his bets on this outcome the most).

No matter what answer he gave though, they decided that they were agreeable with all the possibilities. And, more importantly, promised none of it would tear them apart.

So, there they were. Trip to Patch made. Conversation dialogues memorized. Lots of lube and condoms packed. Back-up hotel in mind just in case things went really south. They walked through the door of Tai’s house, the first few days supposed to be nothing but enjoying each other’s company as friends…

And they fucking jumped the gun within _hours_.

Honestly, Qrow felt the guiltiest about the whole thing. James was only a casual drinker, and his nerves and over-eagerness made him have just enough to get tipsy. And Qrow was… well, himself; enough said there. So, they were a little drunk, a lot talkative, and definitely aroused. All it took was one playful kiss-dare and suddenly he was waking up with Tai’s arm wrapped over his chest and James snoring in his ear.

They paid for it later on down the line, when during their first year together as a three-way couplet uncertainties and nightmares, both figurative and literal ones, ate away at his best friend. It had been a struggle to unwind those misgivings from his heart. They faced their own demons, too. Times where James felt inadequate when he couldn’t connect to either of his lovers quite like they could simply because he didn’t have the decades behind him like they did. Times when Qrow wondered if something was wrong with him when the two would exchange declarations of love like it was nothing and those same words never seemed to be able to escape his own throat the same way. Times when they all sometimes felt a little jealous or ignored or in need of attention. Times when they misread each other. When they didn’t respect boundaries.

It was definitely difficult but they never gave up either. And he’d never look at that first night or anything that followed as a mistake.

_Far from it,_ Qrow thought as he stepped out of the bathroom, pausing to enjoy the very sensual view of a shirtless James lying across the bed while Tai gave him a back massage, knowing that both of these stunning men were his.

It had been one of the most amazing turning points of his entire life.

* * *

Their room was lit only by the table lamps, the dimness outshone by the aquamarine glow that came off the lights along James’ spine from the machinery’s power core, sending pale hues along Tai’s hands. The older the general got, the more laborious it was for his human half to carry around the weight of his prosthetics and long times spent sitting, where he tended to favor his right side, often resulted in terrible muscle strain. Taiyang’s fingers moved over the scarred grooves where metal met flesh, taking care that his touch was firm but not rough. He was unhurried, relishing the simple enjoyment of helping his lover unwind with only his small ministrations while also getting to admire every bit of marvel the man’s beautiful body, both flesh and metal, is.

“You’re so stiff back here.” Tai joked, working out the last knot in the man’s lower back.

James gave a loud huff. “If that was a pun Tai, I swear to _God_ -”

“You called?”

The familiar rasp had him glancing up, seeing Qrow in nothing but his towel, smirking towards them as he leant against the threshold that led to the bathroom. His dark hair lay damp along his head and one water droplet was gliding down the side of his neck. Tai struggled not to watch it, because he was getting ideas about how it was a crime that he wasn’t there to lick it away.

“Aren’t you two a delicious sight?” He purred. “Got room for one more?”

**_Yes_** _._ Tai thought hungrily.

James rose his head, just enough to give the twin a disgruntled look. “Qrow, please tell me you’re joking. We just got off a ten-hour flight.”

He laughed, crossing the room to fetch his sleep pants. “Yeah, yeah Jimmy. I know you’ve got to wait until your gears are all nice and oiled.”

The general gave an irritated huff, letting his head drop back into his pillow.

Trying not to let his own disappointment show (It wouldn’t be a good idea tonight anyways), Tai reached out to ruffle his hand through the military-cut black hair. “I’m almost done then you can sleep, okay?”

Under the creak of bedsprings as Qrow climbed into his spot, he heard James mumble, “Thank you.”

Tai smiled affectionately, bending over to drop a kiss to the base of the man’s neck. Not thinking, until he heard Qrow’s sharp intake of breath, that the position would make the back of his shirt ride up too much.

“What the fuck-?” The bed shook as the huntsman darted forward and grabbed a fistful of his clothing.

“Ah, stop!” Panicked, Tai tried to pull away, shoving him back at the same time.

“Tai what happened?” Qrow demanded.

“Nothing!” He struggled to yank himself free.

“Will you two cut it out?!” The man under them both ordered crossly but went ignored.

Red eyes had narrowed, concern fading into suspicion. “Then what’s on your back?”

He pushed him again, trying to simultaneously climb over James and move sideways. Unfortunately, he forgot that James’ side was where the bed ended. “It’s noth-AH!” He flailed as he went tipping over the edge.

**_Riiip!_ **

Tai grunted as he hit the hardwood floor back first, the impact leaving him blinking away white stars. He huffed up at the ceiling. “Man. I liked that shirt.”

“What in the world was that all about?” James asked as he sat up, giving a displeased stare to each of them.

“He’s hiding something.” Qrow pointed at Tai accusingly, the fistful of torn shirt still in his hand. “You’re hiding something.”

He crossed his legs, which were resting up the vertical side of the bed, then his arms, and said with all the prepubescent haughtiness his students often emulated, “Well, if you’re going to be rude about it then I’m not going to tell you.”

For it, he got a face-full of his own shirt. “Ufh!”

“Qrow, stop it!”

“What?!” The man hunched over a bit, grumbling sourly, “Damn jackass almost gave me a heart attack over a tattoo!”

James’ annoyance turned to surprise as he looked down. “Wait. You got a new tattoo?”

Tai sighed, pulling off the cloth from his face. Guess there wasn’t any point in hiding it now. “Yeah. I’ve been having it done for the past few weeks now.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I…” He looked away. “I was waiting until tomorrow.”

“…Oh.” It was the kind of ‘oh’ steeped in sudden understanding.

“Oh?” Qrow echoed, now the one lost.

James gave the other a patient look. “Tomorrow’s our anniversary.”

“What?!” He exploded. “Since when?!”

“How is it you can compose complex dissertations and yet you can’t remember what day of the week it is?”

“I-It’s hard okay?!” 

Tai stifled his chuckles. Yeah, he loved these two.

James rolled his eyes, before peering back down at him. “Well, if you want to wait to show us, you can.”

“No, no.” Tai leveraged his hands underneath himself so he could properly sit upright, pulling off the rest of his shirt and letting it fall to the floor. “It’s fine. I just, had this whole thing planned out, yanno?”

“Like what?”

“Well I was going to-” He paused, a sudden spark of inspiration hitting him. “Actually, you know what? I can still do part of it.” He got to his feet, carefully back-walking towards the bathroom. “Give me a minute!”

* * *

If anyone tested the limits of how much James could love someone, that award certainly went to Qrow.

The huntsman was everything he thought he could never appreciate: wild and free, brash and outspoken, outlandish and loud. And, for the longest time, he never had. On every occasion they were in the same room, bold insults and strong defiance faced him. Qrow could care less of his honors, his medals, his status. The disrespect was clear and meant to irk him and after awhile James came to understand the game the man was playing and, eventually, refused to make a move. But then the war surged forward to meet them all, and he found himself having to give Qrow something he hadn’t given to anyone in a long, long time.

Trust.

All of a sudden, they went from being two pawns on opposite sides of the chess board trying to move around each other without colliding, to two rooks standing beside one another as a wall to protect everything else behind them. And with it, he would see that the wild and free Qrow was what gave him the passion to fight for the better world Ozpin always spoke of. The brashness was actually calculated risk, the outspokenness exposed intelligence, his loudness a way to redirect attention and his outlandishness a mixture of his enjoyment of life and his vulnerability. By the end of it all, he hardly could see the man he thought was there and could finally see Qrow for who he was.

Somewhere in the middle of understanding that, he started to fall in love.

And though they were different in so many ways – from demeanor, to culture, to beliefs which foretold a rollercoaster relationship that would have to be worked on again, and again, and again – James finally made a move in their old game that was unlike any they had ever played before. And, in turn, Qrow did too. Their relationship was every bit as difficult as expected, but their love that seemed to grow stronger with each hurdle passed over made every bit worth it.

The biggest of which was making the conscious decision to become polyamorous.

Never in all his years, in all his wildest dreams, did he believe he could ever make such a bold and potentially rash decision. Yet, before he knew it, there was a third in their house and things got… interesting to say the least.

If James and Qrow were like a game that got played differently every time, Qrow and Tai were like an old book they’d both read a dozen times. With every conflict was the way on how to solve it and with every plot twist they knew how to expect it; from backstory to motivation to even being able to recite dialogue, they could see the weaves of a story that was twenty years long. And that was how their love was: Familiar.

James wasn’t exactly surprised, had even expected it, but was ashamed to admit the jealousy he’d first felt at seeing the ease in which the two fell together, the vestiges of the love they once held reignited. It was as if they’d picked up their story in the middle of a random chapter but had no loss of understanding on what came before and what would come next. For a short time, he’d even thought what they were would overshadow him entirely.

It was in the first mission Qrow took, an excursion that would last three weeks and leave just Tai and himself alone, that the cracks of the misgivings started to show. The nervous tension had been obvious and it only took a few days before the blond huntsman had grown fed up with them tip-toeing around each other like they were strangers and addressed the problem head on. Though much was said that day, it was speaking his greatest lurking fear that stuck with James most.

“What if I can’t love you like I love Qrow?”

The way Tai looked at him, wise and earnest in a way that told of the many times he’d loved before, was as unforgettable as his words.

“You never will, James.” He told him as he took his hand. “The love you have for Qrow can’t be carbon copied to me. You’re trying to match something that is unmatchable. You and I, Qrow and I, you and Qrow; each of us will love one another in different ways, but different does _not_ mean less powerful.” Tai grinned at him, genuine and open in a way only he could be and for the very first time between them, James’ heart skipped a beat. “So, rather than trying to make things the same, why not try embracing something that is unique?”

And so, he did. The moment he allowed himself to alter the straightforward path he wanted to take with the same steps he had walked before, and instead allowed himself to detour to another avenue, he found he could reach the destination just fine.

It was in Tai, he learned what it meant to redefine love.

“You look like you’re thinking real hard about something over there Jimmy-boy.”

James looked from the bathroom door to Qrow. “Just can’t believe it’s been three years already.”

“Yeah.” That simple utterance was weighted with meaning.

He moved over to his side of the bed, shifting close enough their legs brushed together. “Five for us.” He added.

Qrow looked up at him, saying nothing, but the smile he wore held no barriers behind it, the simple happiness so clear it needed no words. It made him look unbelievably handsome and James couldn’t help but feel starstruck. He brushed the back of his real hand along Qrow’s cheek, leaning forward to plant his lips on the other’s. He heard the man give a pleasant hum, felt a caress of fingers along his bare side.

They didn’t pull away from each other until they heard the turning of a lock. Light spilled across the floorboards as Tai walked back into the room.

And James stared. “…What?” Was the only question he could formulate, struggling to comprehend the sight of the once respectable forty-seven-year-old man now standing before him.

Qrow, unable to contain himself, started to crack up, falling against his shoulder.

Tai beamed, looking exceedingly proud that he was covered from the waist up in ace bandages and had a ridiculous bow made of toilet paper wrapped around his head. He held his hands up high, revealing the makeshift streamers of additional toilet paper tied around his wrists. “I’m the gift, so you get to unwrap me.”

“My gods, Tai!” Qrow gasped between his uncontrollable laughter, pounding at the bed. “Y-You nerd!”

James bit the side of his lip, trying to hold it in, but it was a quickly losing battle as his shoulders started to shake. Tai watched the two of them lose it, before he unabashedly joined in, hopping up onto the bed. By the time the giggle fit was over, Qrow had fallen across the sheets, hands around his aching stomach while James wiped some tears from his eyes.

Streamers were shaken in his face. “Unwrap meeee.” Tai said, throwing his voice into some sort of faint, ghostly wail.

Snickering, he reached out, grabbing the arm they were attached too. “You’re priceless.”

“Ah, thanks!” He chirped. “Though I mean it. This stuff is kind of itchy.”

His free hand shook streamers over Qrow. The man bat back at them like a languid cat, until one lazy swipe snagged on his rings, tearing off the paper seamlessly. “Whoops.” The huntsman said unapologetically, balling it up as he sat up again.

James wasn’t really surprised when the wad was bounced off his temple. Letting go of Tai’s hand, he made a circling motion with his finger. “Alright, turn around.” Once he had, he glanced at Qrow. “You take the top and I’ll take the bottom?”

He probably deserved that eyebrow wiggle. “Oh, switching it up tonight? I like it.”

He bumped him in the shoulder all the same. “Deviant.” He jabbed.

“More jokes like that and I’m jumping the both of you.” Tai threatened cheerfully. “Because, you know, it’s been a _long_ five weeks.”

Qrow purred, “Ooo, like the sound of that.”

James bumped him harder. “Focus.” He wasn’t sure who he was saying it to. He reached out for the metal clasp on one of the bandages. After a moment, the other huntsman joined him. As one, they undid the clasps and carefully started to unwind them from the blond’s torso. At first, all he saw was a lot of black, which could have easily been mistaken for bruising if only seen in the corner of one’s eye. But the more he and Qrow revealed, the more the picture started to make sense.

He unwound the last wrap, setting it aside with the rest of bandages in the pile as he took in the work of art before him. Mostly done in black, the tattoo depicted a forest of mostly leafless trees spread along a snowy field. He instantly recognized the spindly trunked black maires as they were a common species in the tree ranges surrounding Atlas. But, because of the hardness of the wood, they were also known by another name – ironwood. His namesake spread along the other’s back openly displayed a permanent gesture of support.

There was a single crow, wings eternally spread in mid-flight as it alighted from a branch, that also needed no clarification. For it was etched directly behind Tai’s heart, yet also in the heart of the forest.

Besides some dark blue shades to give the woods a bit of a misty look and the sharp red of the bird’s eyes, there wasn’t much color but the image didn’t suffer from this as each mark to the skin had been done with care and precision. He could guess that hours upon hours must have been spent to get so much detail. Every line, from the knobs of the trees to the barbs of the feathers, was so meticulously designed that it looked almost like it could have been a photograph.

“It’s perfect.” James said tenderly.

Beside him, Qrow seemed just as mystified. He reached out, fingers fanning gently over the crow and whispered, “It’s beautiful.”

Tai looked back at them, his smile pleasantly delighted and enduringly shy at the same time. “You really think so?”

James started to trace the branches, declaring with absolute certainty, “Yes.”

He was still following the twisting veins when Qrow moved, his displaced weight making the bed creak underneath them. He shuffled around the blond until he was settled in front of him, saying huskily, “Hey there.”

“Hi.” Tai replied.

“You’ve got a pretty bird on your back.” He continued, winding his arms around his neck.

“Got a pretty bird right in front of me too.”

Qrow smirked, pulling him forward and into a kiss, unhurried yet passionate. In response, a needy noise rumbled from the back of Tai’s throat as he ran his hands through the other’s hair, their tongues tangling together. It was pretty obvious where this was going to lead, but as James bent over, mapping kisses along the span of the tattoo, he certainly had no complaints. The exhaustion from the long day no longer seemed so prominent. 

“Thought you guys wanted to sleep?” Tai panted when he pulled away.

“Got more important things to do.” Qrow said, before diving for his neck.

James chuckled against the blond’s skin, rising up to whisper in his ear, “We can sleep later. For now, just let us show you how much we love you.”

He felt the vibration from Tai’s shiver. “Sounds good to me.”

“Figured it would.” James said, smoothing his hands over his painted back, mind whirling with ideas intent on doing just that.

In all his years, he never imagined he’d fall for someone like Qrow – and yet, now he couldn’t imagine his love for him could ever truly be measured. In all his wildest dreams, he never imagined he could love Tai at the same time or even as strongly – and yet, he found he could do what he once thought impossible. Assuredly, today they were both his. Tomorrow was unpredictable, with trials for them he couldn’t begin to guess.

Come what may, he would stand strong and weather through it, because fighting for the love he had for them was worth it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's pretty obvious where this was heading - but there was no way I was raising the rating just to include smut, lol. I mean I guess if anyone's interested I could try my hand at it and make a separate story for it, not that I'm very good at writing smut. So uh, let me know? 
> 
> Otherwise, this story is done and I really had a blast with it. I'm a little sad it's over about because I had a lot of fun exploring these three's dynamic and would love to continue it but I've got lots of other projects to pour time and energy into and this derailed a lot of that lol


End file.
